Substack

[Libby]

Substack has settled in my life. I don’t publish posts and I rarely comment on or even record a like on other people’s posts. But for me it’s a useful and interesting resource on ‘how to write better’ – the nuts and bolts stuff of the craft – and a reinforcement of the impetus to write in the first place. The latter is the exciting part, though I’m nerdy enough to enjoy the details of craft too.

Here are my favourites:

https://emmadarwin.substack.com/  This Itch of Writing.

Would I even know how to write at all without her thoughts on so many topics?

https://awritersdiary.substack.com/  A Writer’s Diary.

To some extent Toby Litt’s posts are a version of Emma Darwin’s though he has a very different voice.

https://ninaschuyler.substack.com/  Stunning Sentences.

Reviews and breakdowns of individual sentences. This is the stuff I can’t resist.

Substack is a potential money drain if you pay to subscribe rather than stick to what’s free. It’s also, of course, a huge absorber of time. I’ve been using it long enough to ignore uninteresting posts – which is most of them – but at the start I was curious about everything.

Fortunately there’s a lot of free content. After that it’s down to personal choice and finances. With Emma Darwin I consider she’s owed my annual subscription!

 

 

[Athelstone]

Emma’s writing is just marvellous.

[RichardB]

A bit off-topic, but hey, this is the coffee shop, right?

I too have a huge amount of respect for Emma Darwin. And she gave me the happiest moment of my writing career.

The only time I went to the York Festival I (naturally, considering what I’ve just said) booked a book doctor slot with her. Mine was the first slot of the day, and as we sat down she said, ‘I’m glad you’re my first one, because I enjoyed your writing so much it’s set me up for the rest of the day.’

Pity none of the agents I submitted the finished novel to thought the same way (half of them didn’t even bother to reply), but i shall always remember that moment.

[Athelstone]

Well that’s excellent. I don’t think she’s the kind of person who makes that stuff up!

If it’s any help (it won’t be) I had good vibes from a couple of book doctor people, followed by disasters with agents. I think I picked badly.

[Author]

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